OZARK — Arkansas Tech University students will have the option of more declining balance as part of their meal plans beginning with the spring 2012 semester following action by the Tech Board of Trustees during a meeting at the Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus Student Services and Conference Center on Thursday.

Four new meal plans will give on-campus students the opportunity to eat more meals at locations such as Baswell Techionery and Doc’s Place in the Doc Bryan Student Services Building.

Declining balance dollars can be used at any of the dining options operated by Chartwells, the food service provider for Arkansas Tech on its Russellville campus. The new meal plans for spring 2012 will be:

The existing meal plans that were approved by the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees for the 2011-12 academic year (meal plans A, B, C, D, E and F) will also be available during the spring 2012 semester.

Thursday’s meeting saw the board take action regarding a number of academic programs on both the Russellville and Ozark campuses.

Trustees approved letters of intent and notification that will be forwarded to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education notifying it of Arkansas Tech’s plans to take the following actions:

• deletion of the Spanish for medical interpretation option in the Bachelor of Arts degree in foreign languages, an option which has not produced any graduates since it was created in 2006;

• deletion of the Bachelor of Arts degree in general studies, which has been supplanted by the Bachelor of Professional Studies degree;

• addition of a new option in the Master of Science degree in fisheries and wildlife science that will not require students to complete a research thesis;

• realignment of all degree programs on the main campus in Russellville to comply with the provisions included in Act 747 of 2011 by the Arkansas General Assembly, a law that requires all public two-year and four-year institutions of higher learning in Arkansas to allow for the completion of associate degrees with 60 credit hours and baccalaureate degrees with 120 credit hours;

• realignment of the associate degree programs in facilities management, cosmetic science and health information technology at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus to comply with the provisions of Act 747 of 2011;

• establishment of an Associate of Applied Science degree in human services at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus;

• addition of Certificate of Proficiency programs to provide those studying at the Arkansas Tech Career Center on Highway 7T in Russellville with an initial credential in one of nine areas of emphasis — allied health, automotive service, culinary arts, computer information systems, drafting and design, facilities maintenance, law enforcement, viticulture and welding;

• change the name of the Associate of Applied Science degree in industrial systems technology on the Ozark campus to the Associate of Applied Science degree in industrial control systems;

• move the Technical Certificate in industrial control systems on the Ozark campus under the Associate of Applied Science degree in industrial control systems;

• deletion of the option of industrial control systems from the Associate of Applied Science degree in general technology on the Ozark campus;

• removal of five elective hours from the Associate of Applied Science degree in industrial control systems on the Ozark campus to bring it in compliance with Act 747 of 2011;

• and the creation of a new option — energy studies — within the Associate of Applied Science degree in industrial control systems on the Ozark campus.

In other business Thursday, Tech’s Board of Trustees approved:

• a resolution authorizing the issuance of housing system revenue bonds and a bond purchase agreement related to the issuance of $7.6 million in housing system revenue bonds to fund the construction of the new M Street residence hall on the Russellville campus;

• an assessment of $22,500 in liquidated damages against Stonebridge Construction of Jonesboro for a 45-day delay in the completion of the construction of Hindsman Tower;

• and Hard Rock Construction of Russellville as the contractor for security lighting upgrades on the Ozark campus.